Former US national security adviser John Bolton has revealed that billionaire Ronald Lauder first proposed the idea of the United States buying Greenland to Donald Trump during his first term. Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune and a longtime friend of Trump, suggested the acquisition in a meeting that led to White House exploration of increasing US influence in the Arctic territory.
Bolton told the Guardian that Trump summoned him to the Oval Office in 2018 and said a prominent businessman had suggested buying Greenland. The businessman was Lauder, who has known Trump for over 60 years. Bolton discussed the proposition with Lauder, and a White House team subsequently examined ways to boost US sway in the Danish-controlled region.
Lauder's business interests in Greenland have grown alongside Trump's renewed pursuit of the idea in his second term. Danish corporate records show a company with a New York address and unnamed owners has recently invested in Greenland, including exporting luxury springwater from Baffin Bay and exploring hydroelectric power for an aluminium smelter. Lauder is reportedly part of the investor group.
Lauder defended Trump's Greenland concept in a February op-ed, calling it strategic and citing rare-earth elements and emerging maritime routes. He stated he had worked closely with Greenlandic business and government leaders for years on strategic investments. Lauder, who served under Ronald Reagan and as ambassador to Austria, donated $100,000 to Trump's 2016 campaign and has praised his intelligence.
Trump's fixation on Greenland has persisted, with the president recently mulling not just purchase but potential military seizure. Lauder's policy suggestions appear to intersect with his business interests, as he is also part of a consortium seeking access to Ukrainian minerals, which has spurred Trump's demands for a share of Ukraine's resources.
